The Political Discussion Thread

[Falcon Horus]

Yes they did.

However, it's more likely they just lay claim as it is said the gunman called 911 and pledged his allegiance, quite possibly seeking media attention for his hate crime to follow. Like he wasn't going to get that anyway.

Interesting article that explains it better than I can.

Was Orlando Shooter Really Acting for ISIS? For ISIS, It’s All the Same

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Hence why I feel the Egypt Air plane was not a terrorist attack, since no one has laid any claim to be responsible for it.

[Coco Pops]

OK so someone explain to me how a Christian that does the same crime as this guy isn't a terrorist and yet does it for their beliefs?

[maneth]

Terrorist attack or hate crime, does it really matter when 50 people are dead and another 50 injured?

Either way, it's sad and upsetting. But I doubt anything will change, sadly.

[LtColCarter]

So this is a terrorist attack yet blowing up a toilet in a department store because you hate their policy on the bathroom is not terrorism?

Did the attackers claim links to any terror group? I'm confused.

So again this is the "brown person thing"

Because the attacker was muslim it's terrorism.

What if they were christian?

Would it still be terrorism?

Ok...it was all over the news yesterday and still is today. There is no need for you to be confused. There weren't "attackers," it was an individual. The shooter claimed that he was allied to ISIS. However, according to the news today, no direct ties have been found. It is believed that the shooter was radicalized by internet propaganda.

Terrorist attack or hate crime, does it really matter when 50 people are dead and another 50 injured?

Either way, it's sad and upsetting. But I doubt anything will change, sadly.

Yes, it is very sad.

[Womble]

So again this is the "brown person thing"

Because the attacker was muslim it's terrorism.

What if they were christian?

Would it still be terrorism?

It's not who he is, it's what he is motivated by. Terrorism is ideological violence, mass murder for the sake of promoting an idea. Mass murder as a message.

Terrorists of the information age are quite confusing, I'll grant you that. They don't need an organization because modern technology gives individuals unprecedented destructive power. They don't need close contact with their ideological leaders because these leaders can transmit murderous ideas like viruses over the Internet. Modern-day terrorists are, more often than not, lone wolves with a bad case of rabies they contract online, from radical websites and slanted news reports.

[Annoyed]

Ok...it was all over the news yesterday and still is today. There is no need for you to be confused. There weren't "attackers," it was an individual. The shooter claimed that he was allied to ISIS. However, according to the news today, no direct ties have been found. It is believed that the shooter was radicalized by internet propaganda.

Yes, it is very sad.

According to what I read, ISIS actually has a protocol you must follow to carry out activities on their behalf; Apparently the shooter in this case did just that before the attack.
So, as far as I'm concerned, this is a straight up terrorist attack. The only connection to gays as gays might be that ISIS itself is anti-gay.

[garhkal]

So again this is the "brown person thing"

Because the attacker was muslim it's terrorism.

What if they were christian?

Would it still be terrorism?

Well lets see. Roof's shooting of those black people in that church was initally seen as Terrorism. Same with that wack job who shot the people at that planned parenthood facility. Also the Atlanta olympic games bomber, as well as Oki bomber were also terrorists. So yes it can be..

OK so someone explain to me how a Christian that does the same crime as this guy isn't a terrorist and yet does it for their beliefs?

If done to influence politics, it SHOULD be..

[Falcon Horus]

It's a hate crime and a terrorist attack. He chose an LGBTQ nightclub.

And like father, like son as the father apparently posted a video on facebook about how he was unable to understand why his son could do what he did, and that he thought it must have been since he saw two men kiss in front of his kid. And that it wasn't up to the believers to punish the homosexuals, God would punish them.

Video was taken off-line.

[Gatefan1976]

It's not who he is, it's what he is motivated by. Terrorism is ideological violence, mass murder for the sake of promoting an idea. Mass murder as a message.

Terrorists of the information age are quite confusing, I'll grant you that. They don't need an organization because modern technology gives individuals unprecedented destructive power. They don't need close contact with their ideological leaders because these leaders can transmit murderous ideas like viruses over the Internet. Modern-day terrorists are, more often than not, lone wolves with a bad case of rabies they contract online, from radical websites and slanted news reports.

My question is this.
IF you were going to do something like this, and your main motivator was to do it for your God, wouldn't you mention that first, rather than shooting for 20 minutes and then doing it?

[Falcon Horus]

He was in the bathroom area with his hostages, the police across the hall in different bathrooms. And then he called 911 like an "oh, by the way, I quickly pledge my allegiance to a group of monsters, otherwise maybe God won't let me into his kingdom." -- martyrdom and all.

[Ian-S]

I hope there were no unsecured mail servers in those bathrooms?

Too soon? I'll get my coat...

[aretood2]

Well lets see. Roof's shooting of those black people in that church was initally seen as Terrorism. Same with that wack job who shot the people at that planned parenthood facility. Also the Atlanta olympic games bomber, as well as Oki bomber were also terrorists. So yes it can be..



If done to influence politics, it SHOULD be..

Really? Because it took the media awhile to call it terrorism. In fact, I don't know if Fox News ever refereed to it as terrorism. Would the police have stop to buy this new shooter a hamburger? That's the better question.

It's a hate crime and a terrorist attack. He chose an LGBTQ nightclub.

And like father, like son as the father apparently posted a video on facebook about how he was unable to understand why his son could do what he did, and that he thought it must have been since he saw two men kiss in front of his kid. And that it wasn't up to the believers to punish the homosexuals, God would punish them.

Video was taken off-line.

Aren't terrorist attacks by definition "hate crimes"?

[Falcon Horus]

Aren't terrorist attacks by definition "hate crimes"?

Yes, but it's like Owen Jones said in his article. If this had been an attack on a Jewish temple, it would have been labelled a terrorist attack and anti-semitic. This was an attack on a LGBTQ nightclub, thus by that same logic, terrorist attack and anti-gay or hate crime.

[Falcon Horus]

Looks like the Orlando gunman couldn't decide who he was loyal to: pledged allegiance to Daesh, Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah and Al-Nusra (which is a direct enemy of Daesh).

Also, Trump wants to ban Muslims from entering the country cause of the "radical islam", notwithstanding the gunman was AMERICAN. Anyhoodle, what is he going to do with American Muslims? Registration? Identification marks - say a crescent moon on their jackets? Ghettos? Camps?

[Coco Pops]

And the gunman was a regular in that same nightclub....... Strange